Before the International Space Station was launched into orbit in 1998, the U.S. signed a document with several other countries to agree to the peaceful use of the orbital laboratory. The agreement included Russia, Japan, Canada and 11 European countries. China was left out of the plan. 

Nearly a decade later, China expressed interest in joining those on board the space station. The European Space Agency signaled support for the addition, along with South Korea. The final decision was ultimately opposed by the United States. 

"I think you'll have to understand that Congress gave us very clear direction in 2011," NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said. "Any bilateral cooperation with China had to be certified as not sharing any information that would give China some kind of an advantage." 

In 2011, Congress included in a spending bill direction to prohibit collaboration between NASA and China when it comes to some scientific research, including in space. Lawmakers argued China’s program was secretive and too closely tied to its military.

NASA FINALIZES STRATEGY FOR HUMAN PRESENCE IN SPACE

"I think there's no question they're an economic competitor and they're also a competitor for leadership geopolitically," Melroy said. 

China began developing its own space station. It launched and deorbited a pair of short-term space labs between 2011 and 2018. It launched the first part of its Tiangong Space Station, which translates to Heavenly Palace, in 2011. 

"We're laser-focused on China now. China is a threat. We're in a new space race," said President of International and Space Stations at Voyager Space Jeffrey Manber.

Voyager is one of three companies contracted by NASA that is working to develop a new space station. Voyager says it is on pace to launch its Starlab in 2028. There are some fears that NASA will face funding cuts. If there are delays for the companies designing the next space stations, NASA will deorbit the space station without a replacement ready to go. 

Melroy insists the agency will not let China be the sole operator of a space station in orbit, but the storyline resonates with that of the space shuttle program. 

The American-made space shuttle was the world’s first reusable aircraft. It launched like a rocket and landed like an airplane. In 2004, then-President George W. Bush announced a new space initiative, which included retiring the shuttle by 2010 and conducting the first manned mission on a new spacecraft no later than 2014. 

NASA FINALIZES STRATEGY FOR HUMAN PRESENCE IN SPACE

"The Crew Exploration Vehicle will be capable of ferrying astronauts and scientists to the space station after the shuttle is retired," Bush said in 2004. 

The government considered several contractors to develop the vehicle under the constellation program. Over the next several years, program delays and funding issues led the Obama administration to eliminate the program from its 2011 budget. 

"Pursuing this new strategy will require that we revise the old strategy. In part, this is because the old strategy, including the Constellation program, was not fulfilling its promise in many ways," then-President Barack Obama said in April 2010. 

The administration instead directed more than $6 billion to support commercial companies building spacecraft. The shuttle program came to an end a year later. American-made rockets were still not yet available. The U.S. was forced to rely on Russia for continued space travel. 

"It was tough times. I think it was the right decision. The shuttle's time had come to an end. We needed to make a strategic investment in our own industry to develop the capability to take humans to space," Melroy said. "There were a lot of people who thought we'd canceled the space program."

NASA would finally launch an American-made rocket that could carry humans to the space station, nine years after the shuttle’s retirement. It was a delay of six years from Bush’s initial projection. The 2020 SpaceX launch also marked the first of a commercial rocket on U.S. soil. 

ELON MUSK MOVES TO MAKE STARBASE, TEXAS, THE OFFICIAL ‘GATEWAY TO MARS’

As NASA faces the same prospect once again, officials insist they have a different strategy for competition in space with China. 

"I think it's different in the sense that we are still the leader. We intend to remain the leader. We intend to remain the partner of choice. We work very well with our international partners, and they want to continue to work with us," Melroy said. 

Only Chinese Taikonauts have visited the Tiangong Space Station. The country has expressed openness to hosting astronauts from other countries. Beijing has increased cooperation with Sweden, Russia and Italy. In recent months, China’s first International Payload launched on a Chinese commercial rocket. It included Oman’s first satellite, which is equipped with artificial intelligence for urban planning, forestry monitoring and disaster management. 

If China becomes the only permanent presence in space, international partners could be forced to rely on Taikonauts for long-term needs in low Earth orbit. Commercial companies could also be forced to do the same. 

"We do have to be somewhat careful about technology transfer and how do we actually connect with international firms to make sure that we're not sort of giving away things associated with it," Arkisys CEO Dave Barnhart said. 

California-based Arkisys is working on a robotic servicing port for companies to use while in orbit. 

"We can provide either the cargo, the supplies, the robotic manipulation capability, the fuel, whatever's required to support a servicing architecture," Barnhart said. 

Barnhart added the port could help keep the U.S. competitive in space if a commercial station is not ready to go when the space station is decommissioned. While the port would be robotic and not have humans onboard, it would still give the U.S. a form of permanent presence.

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"We actually hope that we will be a bridge between when the [space station] is decommissioned and when the new commercial space stations are up there," Barnhart said. "We are autonomous, we can move much faster. We can allow different orbital transfer vehicles to come in, to bring cargo, to bring fuel, to bring new payloads."

Opposing head coaches needed to be separated from one another after a taunt following an injury to a player during Tuesday's Citrus Bowl.

Illinois defensive back Jaheim Clarke was injured on a play and tended to by trainers and his head coach, Bret Bielema.

Bielema, apparently, was not pleased, and taunted South Carolina with a substitution signal.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

It's unclear who exactly Bielema made the gesture toward, but Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer almost immediately lost it and had lots to say to his opposition.

Beamer needed to be held back by his fellow staff as well as some refs and even some of his own players.

The entire game was chippy with several taunting calls throughout the contest. Bielema dismissed the incident during his postgame interview, calling it simply "a football game."

NFL TEAMS DOING 'EXTENSIVE HOMEWORK' ON JON GRUDEN SINCE CONTROVERSIAL EMAILS AS OFFSEASON APPROACHES: REPORT

The two shared a handshake and a quick hug after Illinois won, 21-17.

The incident seemed to fire up the Gamecocks for a bit, as they scored a touchdown just five plays after Beamer was separated from Bielema to take a 17-14 lead early in the fourth.

However, the Illini responded with a 12-play drive of their own, going 75 yards down the field and grinding the end zone to regain the lead, 21-17, midway through the quarter.

The Gamecocks got inside the 10-yard line on their ensuing drive, but they were unable to score, and the Fighting Illini kneeled out the clock.

It's the fifth time Illinois has ever won 10 games in a season, and the first since 2001.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

• Kelly Benthall, 53, and her husband decided they wanted to retire early and travel the world.
• Part of the couple's plan for early retirement was not to leave an inheritance to their 6 kids.
• They've been traveling across Europe and Africa since August and are happy with the decision.

When I was in my 40s, if you had told me I'd be writing this from Mauritius after months of traveling across Europe, I would have laughed.

Back then, I had a more traditional view of retirement: I would work until 65, leave a nest egg for my kids, and settle into a quieter life.

But at 53, my husband Nigel and I quit our jobs in oil and gas, traded comfort for adventure, and hit the road.

To retire early and travel, we restructured our finances and mapped out a plan to spend every penny. Deciding not to leave an inheritance for our six kids was a crucial part of the plan.

We invested in their first 25 years, giving each of them a strong foundation to build their own futures.

Building confidence

We didn't want to tap into our retirement accounts to avoid early withdrawal penalties, so we simplified our lifestyle.

We got engaged in 2017, shortly after Hurricane Harvey destroyed Nigel's house. He moved in with me, we married, and instead of upgrading to a bigger home, we agreed to make mine work. During COVID, we sold our second car and learned to share one.

We also paid off credit card debt and committed to settling all bills in full every month. These choices made a difference, but we still needed help.

To turn our dream into reality, we hired a financial advisor who helped us devise a plan we could trust. Together, we grew our fixed-income resources for easy access, crafted a strategy to fully spend our savings during our lifetime, and transitioned to having our accounts managed by our advisor with asset-based fees. It helped us stop worrying about outliving our money.

Budgeting for life on the move

Now, our goal is to spend 20% less than we did during the last five years of work, gradually scaling back as we age and slow down. Careful budgeting and travel hacks have been helping.

Before leaving Texas in August, we had been living in Houston, where we still own a home. The decision to rent or sell felt too overwhelming before we left, so when we started our adventure in August, we held off on that decision. For now, it remains as we left it. The plan is to return in January to pack everything up and make those tough calls.

Instead, we kicked off the adventure by visiting family in England. Since then, we've had to rethink how we travel, prioritizing affordability without compromising our standards. This has influenced everything from where we stay to how we plan our itineraries.

For lodging, I use Airbnb and local real estate agencies that offer discounts with a minimum stay of 30 days to cut down on costs. It gives us time to settle in and experience a place fully.

By following the sun during shoulder seasons, we've scored lower rates and balanced pricier destinations with more affordable ones. After England, we've established a rhythm we call "home bases" — places where we live like locals while exploring the area.

So far, we've spent a month in Dubrovnik, Croatia, with its stunning coastline; Lecce in Italy's Puglia region, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves; Seville, Spain, falling in love with Andalusia's laid-back charm; and now Mauritius, a small island just east of Madagascar —where we're soaking up island vibes for the holidays.

Over the past five months, we've been spending an average of $6,000 a month, not including our house payment and related expenses back in Texas.

With slow travel, we shop at local markets, cook at home, and savor a relaxed pace.

Looking ahead

This journey isn't just about travel — it's about finding space to breathe. The endless US news cycle was wearing on me. Personally, I needed space to slow down. I keep up with international news, but the politics back home feel distant.

We don't know exactly where this journey will take us, and that's the beauty of it. With a long list of places to explore and regular trips home to see family, we may even find ourselves back where we started one day.

Our six children, who range in age from 23 to 37 and are spread across California, Utah, Texas, and England, were excited for us but also a little wistful when we set off. A few of them admitted that it felt like we were leaving for good — a shift that seemed more permanent, even though we'll see them just as often as when we lived in Houston.

Our plan to "spend it all" isn't about running out — it's about using what we have with the intention to explore, learn, and create memories we'll carry forever.

And for our kids? I hope we're showing them that there's no single way to live. Sometimes, you just have to leap and trust the net will appear — a reminder to live fully, in whatever way feels true to them.

Got a personal essay about retiring early to travel that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: [email protected].

• Yung-Yu Lin uses Google Search alerts to stay informed about company news before interviews.
• Sarra Bounouh suggests making separate lists of questions for the hiring manager and team leader.
• Anthony Mays advises creating unique project portfolios to stand out.

In his two-decade tech career, Yung-Yu Lin worked in Taiwan and the US, in hardware, software engineering, and product management roles.

Through career and company changes, preparing for interviews has been key, the senior product manager at Google told Business Insider.

"When you get to the interview, people always get nervous — it doesn't matter who you are," Lin said. "The only thing you can control is just trying to practice and get yourself a little bit more familiar with the interview process."

He and two other tech employees from Meta and Google shared their top tips to prepare before heading into an important Big Tech interview:

Mock interviews

Lin said that one of his top strategies is to do mock interviews with peers.

He uses career-building platforms such as IGotAnOffer, where people role-play interviews with people working or applying to the same companies.

"I scheduled four different mock interviews with other candidates also trying to apply for jobs at Google," Lin said.

Lin said it was helpful because he not only got a second opinion on his own answers, but also learned from his partner.

Subscribe to company news

To have a good discussion, and to be able to ask informed questions at the end of his interviews, Lin said he sets up Google Search alerts for the company at which he is interviewing.

"Before the interview, I would take a look at whatever happening in the past week and if there is any significant or big change, I ask interviewers or ask recruiters what does that mean for the company or for the industry," he said.

That shows you are interested in both the company and trends in the domain, Lin added.

Plan a list of questions

Sarra Bonouh, a product manager at Meta who has worked at Accenture, Microsoft, and Snap, said that she prepares a list of questions to ask at the end of the interview.

Her questions change based on whether the interviewer is in a leadership position or a hiring manager.

For a leader:

• What is the strategy of the team and the company? How do this team's objectives and key results fit into the overall mission and strategy of the company?
• What do you have in mind for the team in the next six months and the next 12 months?
• What would make the person in the role that you're hiring for stand out?

For a hiring manager:

• Who are the people someone in this role will be working closely with?
• What does success mean for this role?
• Tell me about a project the team worked on recently and the impact it had?

"I like this question a lot because it helps me evaluate the scope of work that the team has," she said about the last question. "This one I ask actually to all of the hiring managers."

Prepare a portfolio

Anthony D. Mays, who worked at Google for eight years before becoming a tech career consultant in 2022, said that it's key to prepare a portfolio that stands out.

He said there's a big influx of talent coming from coding boot camps, where everyone is given an identical project template. "I can see that you didn't actually put in the effort to make something of your own."

He suggests creating a portfolio of coding projects on Github or other platforms that emulate what the role entails in real life and talking about them in interviews.

"Pretend that you're working for a real company with a team of other engineers," he said. "Nowadays, I encourage my clients to build portfolio projects in pairs or with a team of other people, and to think about how you build within a team, because that is the thing that hiring managers and recruiters are looking for."

"Even if Mike's entire goal is to do everything Trump wants...he's not going to be good at it," Thomas Massie wrote on X.

The TV personality, 61, may have started a new annual New Year's Eve tradition of posting nude selfies ahead of Jan. 1

An Australian photographer was thrown to the ground and injured over $1000 camera.

Hailie Jade is losing herself in the bliss of pregnancy. The 29-year-old daughter of Eminem and his ex Kim Scott announced in October that her first child with husband Evan McClintock was on the...

Southern Charm’s Austen Kroll really misses hanging out with his bro Craig Conover.

In Bravo’s sneak peek of the Thursday, January 2, episode, Austen, 37, sits down with his longtime friend to figure out why things seem distant between the pair.

“I miss my buddy and that’s where I’m coming to you from,” Austen shares in the preview. “We talk and do this but if I’m going to lunch, you’re not on my phone call list. If I’m going to get a beer, you’re not on my phone call list because your answer is normally ‘because I’m gardening.’”

Visibly surprised by the conversation, Craig, 35, quickly tries to defend himself and questions  Austen on the last time he picked up the phone to schedule a lunch date.

Southern Charm's Austen Kroll, Craig Conover’s Friendship Ups and Downs

“That’s a you thing,” Craig replies. “I’m not a f—ing mind reader. I didn’t know this s— was going on. I thought we were good. Why don’t we set up a weekly tee time?”

From Austen’s perspective, it may not be the best time for some sarcasm. After all, Craig didn’t score an invite to Patricia Altschul’s birthday dinner because of his absence from the group.

As an example, Austen details a weekend when he was scheduled to play golf with Craig on a Sunday. The night before, however, his friend canceled so he could tend to his garden.

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A post shared by Austen Kroll (@krollthewarriorking)

“Yah, because I don’t want to waste five hours playing golf when I have stuff to do,” Craig replies. “It was work. … That’s what makes me happy now is working and making money.”

Austen first joined Southern Charm in 2017 for season 4. Since then, he has maintained a friendship with Craig with the pair opening up a new bar titled By The Way. At the same time, he wishes his coworker and friend had more “balance.”

“I wish that Craig would have more of a balance in his life,”  Austen exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month. “I wish that Craig would want to go out to dinner with me and [my girlfriend] Audrey. Craig is like a hermit.”

‘Southern Charm’ Cast’s Dating History: Inside the Bravo Stars' Love Lives

While Austen is thrilled for Craig’s success in the business world with Sewing Down South, Spritz Society and more businesses, he hopes to not be forgotten.

“It’s gonna make me look like a child maybe,” Austen joked when teasing future friendship conversations with Craig on Southern Charm. “The message is there.”

Southern Charm airs on Bravo Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET. Stream old episodes anytime on Peacock.

Hailey Bieber’s beauty skills never disappoint.

Bieber, 28, took to Instagram on Monday, December 30, to show off her winter eye makeup, which immediately gave Us inspiration on how to get glammed up for New Years Eve. In the snap, Bieber spun her head around, pausing at the perfect moment to show off just how glittery her eyeshadow was. She donned white glitter with a silver iridescent over her lid and blended to her brow bone. Bieber teamed the shimmer with extra rosy cheeks, longed link lips, soft contour and manicured brows.

If you’re hoping to take the beauty look out of Bieber’s book for your own New Year’s Eve ensemble, Us suggests applying a tacky primer or concealer to your eyelid before patting the glitter on top. To ensure you won’t get fallout from the sparkle on the rest of your face, do your eye makeup first, then use a makeup remover for any glitter that falls before going in with foundation.

Hailey, who recently welcomed her first baby, Jack Blues, with husband Justin Bieber, paired her festive look with a black sweater and fur vest, gold hoop earrings in her first piercing and a diamond huggie in her seconds. Her blonde hair was parted down the middle and styled in a bouncy blowout.

“,” Hailey captioned the selfie.

Hailey Bieber Is a Sugar Plum Fairy in New Holiday Makeup Look

This is hardly the first time Hailey has donned copy-worthy glam. Last winter, she demonstrated how to achieve “Sugar Plum Fairy” makeup inspired by the Nutcracker. In the video, she applied blush to her eyelids, which she covered in more sparkly pink cream eyeshadow before adding gloss to her lids for “more shimmer.”

Hailey Bieber Turns Up the Heat in Snowy Aspen Wearing Lingerie

Hailey completed her look with especially blushed cheeks, fuchsia lips, faux freckles and gelled eyebrows. To give the look even more of a girly effect, Hailey wore a pink coat in the clip and statement gold earrings.

Homebodies know that having an excellent loungewear collection is key to staying comfortable when staying in. If you’re tired of wearing leggings and sweatpants with no character, you might want to consider revamping your closet. Now is the best time to add new joggers, tops and sets to the mix, swapping out well-worn pieces for newer, fresher items you’ll be excited to reach for in 2025.

16 Parisian-Looking Lounge Sets on Amazon That Double As Party Outfits

While loungewear options are a dime a dozen, many pieces fall apart in the wash and don’t hold up for long periods of time. To combat this issue, we rounded up some of our favorite loungewear pieces from quality brands like Barefoot Dreams and Nordstrom, along with affordable and durable options from Target and Walmart. Wheter you’re in need of sweatshirts, cardigans, ribbed pants, or sets, these items will help you look and feel your best while kicking back in the comfort of your home.

Shop the 10 best loungewear pieces for homebodies, ahead!

1. A Matching Loungewear Set: If you prefer to match when lounging at home, take a look at Koandaily’s coordinating set. The soft two-piece outfit is made from a stretchy, knit fleece fabric that feels like a “hug,” according to the brand. It comes in a neutral cream color along with four other stunning shades — $49 at Amazon!

2. A Comfy Loungewear Top: If you’re planning to hand out at home, the Modal Relaxed-Fit Lounge Long-Sleeve Shirt from Lululemon pairs well with both leggings and joggers. Made from a silky-soft modal fabric, it’s breathable and suitable for sleeping in — $49 (originally $68) at Lululemon!

3. Wide Leg Ribbed Pants: Auden’s loungewear pieces at Target are incredibly affordable, stylish and comfortable — and these pants are no exception. The loose, wide-leg design features an adjustable drawstring at the waist, allowing you to customize your bottoms to your preferred fit — $25 at Target!

4. A Three-Piece Set: The Open Edit Cozy Rib 3-Piece Lounge Set deserves a spot in your closet. It includes a cardigan with a button-front closure, a scoop-neck tank and pants with an elastic waist. We can’t get over the rich magenta colorway — $99 at Nordstrom!

5. Best Loungewear Cardigan: If you just need a sweater to keep you warm, consider this one from Abercrombie and Fitch. It’s lightweight yet toasty enough to wear when completing house chores on chilly winter days — $28 (originally $40) at Abercrombie & Fitch!

6. An Oversized Sweatshirt: Baggy sweatshirts are having a moment and it won’t be slowing down anytime soon. If you’re looking for a rich mom pick, add this stylish option from Gold Hinge to cart. The classic crewneck design is emblazoned with the brand’s logo and features wide arms for optional comfort — $68 at Gold Hinge!

7. Leopard Print Pull-On Pants: These leopard-printed pull-on pants make it easy to lounge while looking stylish. They have a wide-leg silhouette and two side pockets for added detail — $15 at Walmart!

8. Best Splurge Loungewear Set: Even though Barefoot Dreams is known for its chic blankets, its knitted sets are just as popular. This loose-fitting pick is crafted with the same material as the brand’s viral throws, ensuring it’s warm enough for winter nights — $198 at Nordstrom!

9. Best V-Neck Top Loungewear Set: Just because you want to be comfortable doesn’t mean you can’t feel good in your clothes. This set offers the best of both worlds: It’s easy to move around in and comes with a flirty off-the-shoulder top as well as fuzzy wide-leg pants — $49 at Amazon!

10. Best Joggers: The best thing about a pair of joggers is you can wear them anywhere — to the couch, to grab coffee or to run errands. If you need to upgrade your current collection, Aerie should be your first stop. The CozyUp Waffle Jogger has a chic look and a perfect fit that’s not too tight or too loose — $28 (originally $55) at Aerie!

13 Chic Jumpsuits Perfect for Those 'What Should I Wear' Days

©

Brooks Nader is bonding with Dancing With the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko’s daughter Olivia.

In a TikTok shared on Monday, December 30, Brooks, 28, and sister Grace Ann Nader danced alongside the 13-year-old in a closet and lip synced to Kim Kardashian’s viral audio.

“This is some real embarrassing s— and I need to deal with it,” Kardashian, 44, said. “And I will deal with it. I just cannot believe this is happening right now.”

“When your Dad’s new GF and her sisters are borderline insane,” Grace Ann wrote over the video. “She’s such a trooper,” Brooks wrote in the comments section of the post about Olivia.

@graceannnader

lol @glebsavchenko @Brooks Nader #nadersisters #brooksandgleb

♬ original sound – Jen Kardashian

Brooks became linked to Savchenko, 41, after the couple were partnered together on DWTS season 33.

“We have a good energy. Like, I think we got good vibes. I mean, it’s nice to be in the room for five hours a day with someone that you get along with,” Savchenko exclusively told Us Weekly in September. “And also, you know, looking like that. She’s hot.”

DWTS’ Gleb Savchenko’s Daughter Reacts to Video of Dad and Brooks Nader

While the season was airing, Us broke the news that Savchenko and Brooks were “hooking up.” Days later, Savchenko and Brooks made headlines when they got matching tattoos.

After being eliminated from the show, Savchenko and Brooks parted ways before ultimately rekindling. Before confirming their romance, Brooks played coy to Us about where the twosome stands.

“I don’t know what to say about that,” she exclusively told Us earlier this month. “I don’t even know what’s going on. I know I am confusing people, but I am confusing myself. I am loving life.”

Hours later, Savchenko and Brooks confirmed their romance to TMZ, with the Russian dancer gushing that he and the model “are together.” When asked whether their relationship was a “showmance,” Savchenko slammed the idea. “Of course it’s real. Everything is real,” he said. “We’re not playing. We’re not playing games.”

As the pair rang in the holidays together, Savchenko and Brooks teamed up with Olivia for several TikTok videos. Savchenko, for his part, gushed over his loved ones.

“I don’t need anything else ,” he wrote via Instagram on December 25, alongside several images of him spending time with Olivia and Brooks. In one snap, Brooks wrapped her arms around Olivia while in another Savchenko and Brooks packed on the PDA.

Savchenko shares Olivia and 7-year-old Zlata with ex-wife Elena Samodanova. (Savchenko and Samodanova split in 2020 after 14 years of marriage and settled their divorce the following year.)

Coco Gauff’s admission about her lack of late ‘90s boy band knowledge has Us feeling old. 

Gauff, 20, took part in a video Q&A with her fellow American tennis stars Danielle Collins and Taylor Fritz, in which the athletes were asked to name their “first celebrity crush.”

“Lance Bass seemed like the safest human in the world,” Collins, 31, said of her affinity for the ‘NSync member. 

Bass, 45, came out as gay in 2006. “It totally makes sense now,” Collins joked. 

Where Donna Vekic Stands With Coco Gauff After Paris Olympics Controversy

Gauff, however, didn’t understand the connection. 

“I have no idea who that is,” she admitted with a laugh. 

Gauff was born in March 2004, more than three years after the release of ‘NSync’s last studio album, Celebrity. Bass was a founding member of the iconic boy band alongside Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and JC Chasez. 

When it came time for Gauff to answer the question herself, the 2023 US Open champion got bashful.

“I don’t want to say my first celebrity crush because I know him now,” Gauff said.

The room erupted in laughter and Gauff was asked, “Are you dating him?”

“No, I’m not dating him,” Gauff said, before revealing her answer to be actor Michael B. Jordan. “I love that man,” she gushed. 

As for her actual love life, Gauff posted an Instagram photo with her rumored boyfriend, Jalen Sera, in November. 

Gauff shared a series of photos from the Camp Flog Gnaw Music Festival in Los Angeles, including one of her and Sera, 22, standing side-by-side. While Gauff didn’t confirm their relationship, rumors about the pair have swirled since 2023, and they often exchange flirty Instagram comments with each other. 

Gauff discussed her boyfriend with Time magazine in April, calling their connection her “first real relationship.” 

Coco Gauff Reveals Her 'Boyfriend' Predicted Tyler, the Creator Shout-Out

“To just have someone to talk to who is not involved in tennis at all gives me a fresh perspective,” Gauff said, hinting she and her partner had been together since the spring of 2023. 

Gauff told Vogue in March, “He’s a very nice guy. He’s in school now. He’s about to apply for music school. He wants to be an actor and he plays the guitar.”

The boyfriend has even met Gauff’s parents, Candi and Corey — and earned rave reviews. 

“My mom always said, if they’re bad in school, they’re probably bad as adults,” Candi told Time. “He’s always been a smart, nice kid.”

The United States Olympic sevens star is on a short-term deal at Bristol ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

© PA Wire

Late Tuesday evening, a federal judge blocked tech lobbying group NetChoice’s challenge to California’s recently enacted law, SB 976, which prohibits companies from serving “addictive feeds” to minors. The effect of this decision is that beginning Wednesday, companies will be prohibited from serving an addictive feed to a California-based user they know to be a […]

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Quinn Ewers reportedly has a $6 million NIL offer to move away from Texas, but one former Longhorn seems to believe that would be a massive mistake.

On3 Sports reported Tuesday that Ewers has a massive offer for him to stay in the collegiate ranks and enter the transfer portal instead of turning pro.

Ewers made the decision to come back to school in 2024, but with a subpar season for his standards, his draft stock has fallen.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

But Johntay Cook, who played with Ewers in each of the last two seasons, says the school would regret it.

In replying to the report on X, Cook said the school would be "wasting yall money [for real]." His X account has since been made private.

Cook played for the Longhorns in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to Washington. With the Longhorns, he caught 16 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns in 20 total games.

Ewers does have Texas as the fifth seed in the College Football Playoff, and they face Arizona State in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

BOISE STATE LEANS INTO UNDERDOG ROLE AHEAD OF CFP GAME

A majority of the questions about Texas quarterbacks entering the transfer portal have been directed toward redshirt freshman Arch Manning. He shot down rumors of that happening on Monday.

"I mean, I really have no plans on entering the portal or anything," the redshirt freshman said, per Rivals. "So, I don’t really know about it, about all the windows and everything."

Notre Dame was examined in a Sports Illustrated post as a possible landing spot for Ewers since the team is set to see Riley Leonard leave after this season. However, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said the team had no plans on going to the transfer portal for a quarterback.

Ewers committed to Texas in 2020 but decommitted to join Ohio State. He only took two snaps with the Buckeyes in 2021 before transferring to Texas for the 2022 season.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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In a year of hotly contested campaigns, the NFL MVP race has given fans and pundits plenty to argue about. 

The race between Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has ignited a flurry of arguments on social media and sports talk shows in recent weeks. Allen is currently the odds-on favorite at -300 to win the award, while Jackson has the second-best odds at +225. 

Allen and Jackson have strong yet slightly different arguments for the award, with no clear consensus over which case is stronger. 

For Allen, a fifth-straight division title, a 13-3 record and the only win against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs headline his campaign. Statistically, Allen's 3,731 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes, along with 531 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns on the ground, anchor his MVP-caliber season, even though he doesn't lead the league in any specific category. 

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But Jackson brings a very different argument as the most statistically efficient player in the league this year. Jackson leads the league in touchdown percentage and passing yards per attempt while also leading the entire league (quarterbacks and running backs) in rushing yards per carry. But Jackson's statistical performance is weighed down, compared to Allen's, by the fact that the Ravens only have 11 wins and haven't clinched their division yet with one week to go. 

Jackson's Ravens also defeated Allen's Bills, 35-10, in their meeting this season. 

These factors have earned Jackson the nod by multiple voters in the media, some of whom have expressed their support for the Ravens star publicly. 

NFL insider Dianna Russini made it clear that she is planning to vote for Jackson during an episode of the "Scoop City" podcast on Tuesday, citing superior statistical performance. 

"I am leaning Lamar," Russini said. "I don’t think Josh Allen did anything this weekend to make me go, ‘OK, he stole this thing.’"

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Meanwhile, FOX Sports NFL analyst and MVP voter Emmanuel Acho argued in favor of Allen during an episode of FS1's "The Facility," citing the fact that Buffalo has an inferior overall roster, especially on defense, when compared to the Ravens. The Bills rank 20th in total defense this year while the Ravens are 14th. Jackson also has the benefit of leaning on multiple-time league rushing leader running back Derrick Henry as a co-star, while Allen lacks any major superstars on his offense. 

"Simply put, Josh Allen has to do just as much, if not more, with less," Acho said. "I was rewatching the Ravens game last night, and there were moments in time, if not the majority of the time, where I asked myself, 'Who's the best player on the Ravens' offense?' I mean, make no mistake about it, Derrick Henry rushed for 120-plus yards in that game. I'm sitting there watching this game, and I'm saying the Ravens' offense has two Hall of Famers. The Bills' offense, it just has Josh Allen."

Meanwhile, NFL on CBS broadcaster and former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo made an argument that has been both mocked and repeated by NFL fans in the debate. Romo argued that Allen should have a better shot at the award since he hasn't won it yet, while Jackson has two MVPs already. 

"I think they're tied in my brain. I think that Josh Allen might get the edge only because Lamar's had two. If Josh had two, you'd going to side with the guy who doesn't have one. That's just human nature in my opinion," Romo said while broadcasting the Bills' win over the New York Jets on Sunday. 

ESPN First Take host and former Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark has been one of the most vocal advocates for Jackson in the MVP race this year. Clark argued that if Allen were chosen as MVP over Jackson, it would only be because voters have already awarded Jackson the MVP twice. He compared it to instances in the NBA where Michael Jordan

Both players have one more game to polish off their respective MVP cases. However, it's possible that Jackson will be the only player doing so this Sunday.

With the Bills having already wrapped up their division title and locked themselves into the No. 2 seed in the NFL playoffs, head coach Sean McDermott has said Allen won't play the whole game against the New England Patriots on Sunday. McDermott told reporters that Allen will start the game to maintain his current streak of starting games for the team but will come off the field at some point early on.

Jackson will need to lead his team to a victory against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to clinch the AFC North title for Baltimore. 

If Jackson puts up another dominant performance while Allen rides the bench for most of Sunday, it could swing the current betting odds and change the race.

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• Ryan Pamplin moved to Puerto Rico four years ago for the entrepreneurial scene.
• He and his family love the island, but he's frustrated with its ailing power infrastructure.
• A massive blackout plunged the island into darkness on Tuesday, and it could take days to restore.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ryan Pamplin, a 36-year-old who moved to Puerto Rico from the mainland US four years ago. Pamplin is the founder and CEO of BlendJet, a brand of portable blenders sold online and in more than 30,000 retail stores in 40 countries. He lives in Dorado with his wife and infant.

Pamplin was affected by Tuesday's near-total blackout in Puerto Rico, which left millions of residents across the island without power. Officials have said it could take days to restore service.

In recent years, Puerto Rico has seen a rise in entrepreneurs moving there. Government incentives like tax breaks — combined with the draw of an island lifestyle — have made it an attractive place for startups and new businesses.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm originally from Santa Monica, California, and then I moved a couple different times. I lived in New York, I lived in Florida, and most recently in the San Francisco Bay area.

And then about four years ago, a good friend of mine who's a really successful entrepreneur just said, "Hey, you got to check out Puerto Rico. There's something really interesting happening here. There's a lot of entrepreneurs moving there."

And I ended up talking to 30 different people — on Zoom, during COVID — who have moved here. Then I planned a whole trip to Puerto Rico with my cofounder and our wives, and we fell in love with it.

We met locals, we met people who had relocated here, and we just felt like, "Wow, what a cool place to go during Covid." And then we just never left. We ended up having our son here and built a house here.

We are in Dorado, which is about 30 minutes to the west of San Juan, and there's a really big community of people who have relocated from the mainland, a lot of entrepreneurs. It's a good mixture of us and locals all mixed together. I have a son who's 19 months old, and there are just tons of other kids to play with all the time. You see kids ride around on bikes by themselves. It's really safe.

The community is amazing and it's a great place to live — aside from the infrastructure.

I've never been anywhere in the world where people are so passionate about electricity that they protest in the streets about it.

When we moved here, there would be people driving tons of cars, just like a parade, with all kinds of megaphones and noisemakers and honking to protest the power company because it's really unreliable and it's expensive. That's happened many times since we've lived here.

People are mad because they keep increasing the rates but the service doesn't improve.

Backup power is a necessity — if you can swing it

You need backup energy in Puerto Rico because we have outages constantly, so I have four portable power stations and two backup batteries. In a two-week period recently, we experienced 14 outages. Most of the time it's an entire city or multiple cities. Sometimes the outages are short, but generally they last five-plus hours, and sometimes they last 18 to 24 hours.

That's a problem for so many people, and for restaurants and local businesses, because the food in their fridge goes bad. And ice sells out super quickly.

And it's not just power loss. Sometimes you get weird voltage drops, so then it fries all your electronics. You might not even be able to get it fixed, you just have to buy a new one. That happens so frequently. It's happened to me. It's happened to all my friends.

And then the gas generators break too. These generators are terrible environmentally — they're burning all this fuel, and they're super inefficient. It's terrible for the air quality surrounding your home.

The really difficult thing is it's really hot here all the time so not having AC could be deadly.

I don't have enough battery backup for the ACs, so when the power goes off, I usually wake up in the middle of the night because I get hot. And then I put a fan next to our bed. Then we sneak into the baby's room, trying not wake him up, and put a fan next to his bed. If we don't, he can't sleep at all without a fan.

Tuesday's power outage is definitely the worst that I've seen in four years of living here. That's because it's not isolated to one city or one area. It's the entire island.

I don't know a single person that has power right now. The only people that have power are people that have generators or they have powerwalls.

I've also never seen the water pressure drop so low. Right now, my water pressure is so bad, not just because my pump is off, but whatever pumps happen at the water company, those pumps aren't working. So if I turn on my faucet, no water comes out.

It's crazy to live in a place that's part of the United States that just has an unbelievably unreliable grid.

You have a lot of really talented people who come here, or are born here, or live here that are just incredibly frustrated because of such a basic thing as not having reliable power. And then they leave, and that hurts the economy.

Making the most of a New Year's Eve with no power

As for New Year's Eve on Tuesday, the power outage will probably inspire everyone to go stand in the street at midnight instead of standing in their homes. People are probably more likely to turn it into a block party and have a really good time.

I'm sure we're going to see all the stars and we're going to see the fireworks.

It'll be beautiful.

(Luma, the privately owned power provider, hasn't responded to a request for comment from Business Insider. The company earlier said in a statement that it's working to track down the source of the outage. "We understand the deep frustration that the power outage situation on a day like today is causing our customers and families in the country," the company said in a translated statement on X.)

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